Typewriting-machine



J. FELBEL.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATXON FILED SEPT.22, I919.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET L INIVENTSR WITNESSES $7.

.l. FELBEL.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED $EPT.22, 1919.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTUR WITNESSES J. FELBEL.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPLZZ, 1919.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

ITNEEEEE INVENTUR fiauL/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB FELBEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO REMINGTON TYPEWRITER COM- IPANY, OF ILION, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TYPEWRITING-MACHINE Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB FELBEL, citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to typewriting machines and more particularly to means for collapsing and expanding the set of type bars thereof.

My invention has for its principal object to provide certain improvements in portable typewriters in which the dimensions of the machine can be reduced by dropping the type bars from their extended position of use back to a position of disuse.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front to rear vertical sectional View of so much of a typewriting machine as is necessary to illustrate the invention, some of the parts being shown in full lines ready for use, and some of them in broken lines in the position of disuse.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation partly in section, showing particularly the bridge or cross bar which carries the type bars, and

, sub-levers, and showing this bridge bar attached to the side plate of the framework.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, with the front part of the machine broken away and showing the parts in the position of use. In this view all but one of the type bars are sectioned away at about the elevation of the type rest or lifter.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but with the parts in the position of non-use, and with all the type bars shown in full.

Fig. 5 is a fra mentary cross section on the line ww of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrow at said line and showing on an enlarged scale a detail of the top plate mounting.

In most of the figures much of the mechanism of the machine is omitted and some parts are shown only conventionally.

In order to illustrate my invention I have shown it applied to a machine resembling in many wa s that shown in the application of John H. arr, Sr. No. 235,812, filed May Specification of Letters Patent.

22, 1919. Serial. No. 325,390.

21, 1918 which application has matured into Patent in). 1,320,034, dated Oct. 28, 1919.

In the drawings, the main or stationary frame of the machine is represented as comprising right and left-hand side plates 1 and a base 2, which may be variously constructed and joined together, but which are here shown as made of an integral piece of sheet metal, the base 2 being cut out 1n the middle as will be understood by reference to Fig. 4. I have shown rubber feet 3 inserted in suitable holes in the base 2. The side plates 1 are shown connected together at their forward ends by a cross bar 4 and just back of the keyboard by a frame bar 5 made in the form of a double comb plate, being slotted both along its upper and along its lower edges. Near their rear ends said side plates are rigidly connected by a bridge bar or casting 6, the middle part of which is made into a type bar segment 7, and, infront thereof and concentric therewith, a sub-lever segment 8. This casting is not fully shown in all its details herein as itis more articularly shown and described in the B arr application above referred to; but at its right and lefthand ends it includes integral parts 9 which are secured by screws 10 to brackets 11 of angular form, the vertical flange of each bracket being fastened by screws 12 to the fixed side plates 1 of the stationary framework. In the Barr machine there is a stationary base and also a frame in which the type action is mounted and which includes the parts corresponding to the comb 'plate 5 and casting 6, and said frame is movable up and down with reference to the base for collapsing and expanding purposes; but in my machine the casting 6, the segment 7 of which constitutes the mount for the type bars, is a part of the fixed framework of the machine and the entire type action is mounted in the fixed or stationary framework which has no expanding or compacting movement. Top strike type bars 13 are pivoted on a wire 14 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and conventionally repre- Patented Oct. 4, 1921. a

Each of said type bars has on the heel thereof a series of gear teeth 15 which mesh with a set of se en-tally dis (1 teeth 16 on a sub-lever 1 which subever is of the first order and is pivoted on a curved wire 18 1 ing in a groove cut in the front face of t e se cut 8. Said se ent 8 1s radially slotte for the several su -1evers 17. At its forward end each sub-lever 17 is connected by a link 20 with a sub-lever 21 pivoted in one of the slots cut in the upper edgg of the comb plate 5, said sub-levers 21 mg retained in place in said slots b a transverse uard bar 22 covering all 0 said levers. The sub-levers 21 are connected by links 23 with key levers 24, said ke levers bem guided in the slots cut in the ower edge 0 the comb plate 5 and each of them having a printing key 25 at its forward end. i The key levers 24 are pivoted at their rear ends in a comb plate 26 which supports a wire 27, said comb plate 26 being secured to the under side of the casting 6. Each type action is provided with a returning spr ng 28 which in the resent instance is a tenslon s ring connecte at one end to the sub-lever 1g and at the other end to a late 30 secured to the upper side of thesu -lever segment 8. The type bars are ada ted to strike down on the upper side of a p aten 31, which is here only conventionall shown but which is mounted on an suita le carnage, Each type bar 13 is s own provided w1th two types and the platen 31 is therefore provided with any suitable case shift mechanism adapted to shift it in a front and back direction.

Ribbon spools 32 are conventionally shown. The sub-levers 17 are preferably all alike and are arranged radially and concentric with the curvature of the segments 7 and 8 and the sub-levers 21 are of varying length, the one shown in the drawing being one of the shortest. Those sub-levers 21 near the sides of the system are consideraby longer than the one shown and the links 23 are each disposed in such a position front and back as to give to its connected key the desired extent of dip. I have not deemed it essential to describe nor show the mechanism more in detail because it is all set forth more fully in the Barr application above referred to.

The construction is such that when the t pe bars stand in the osition shown in ig. 3 and in full lines 1n Fig. 1 they are then in position for'use, that is to say, they are ready to be operated by the keys 25, the teeth 15 on the heels of the type bars being in mesh with the teeth 16 on the sub- .levers 17. The type bars are however adapted to be depressed into a compacted position of disuse as shown in Fi 4 and 1n broken lines in Fig. 1. To t 's end, as is also fully set/ forth in the Barr application above referred to, the heel of each type bar 13- has above its rear teeth 15 a smooth concentric part 33 which when the type bar is depressed t the broken line 0- s1t1on' of Fig. 1 runs into engagement wit a concave ed 34 on the sub-lever 17 above the teeth 16. T is will be recognized asa form of intermittent gearing having the advantage in this construction that when the type bar is dropped back to its position of non-use it moves the rear end of the sub-lever 17 down only a short distance or until the edges 33 and 34 come into engagement, after which the type bar moves downward without imparting any further. movement to the balance of the type action. I have shown this construction because it is the construction of the Barr application but as far as my invention is concerned all 'of these details can be varied.

y invention resides chiefly in means for elevating and depressing the type bars 13 to and from their position of use. For this purpose I employ a type bar lifter 35 which in the present instance and preferably serves also when the type bars are in the position of use as a type rest or pad engaging the type bars above their pivot 14. The lifter 35 is here shown as comprising a wire 36 bent into the curved form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and covered with a tube 37 of rubber, felt or other suitable sound deadening material. This lifter lies in a suitable trough 38 formed in the curved rear edge of a top plate 40 where it is secured by screws 41. Said lifter is enabled to act on the type bars to'raise and lower them by being slidably mounted on the fixed framework of the machine so that it can be slidto one position where it holds the type bars up in their position of use and to another position where it allows them to drop back to their position of disuse. In the present instance this sliding motion is horizontal. To this end the top plate 40 to which the lifter 35 is secured is slidably mounted on the u per edges of the side plates 1 of the stationary frame so that it can be moved rectilinearly in front and back direction. The fixed guides for this purpose can of course be variously constructed. As here shown the top plate 40 extends far enough to the right and left to lap over the upper ed es of the side plates 1 and it has at its rig t and left-hand ends depending flanges 42. Each of the side plates 1 has its upper ed bent inward to form a flange 43 on which the top plate 40 rests. A strip of metal 44 is secured as by rivets 45 to the under side of the top plate 40 at each end thereof-and lying parallel with the flange 43 and said strip is bent first downward and then outward forming a flange 46 lying beneath the flange 43. It will be 40, allowing sai top, plate to he slid oriide way for the top late zontally toward the front or toward the rear of the machine but preventing it from being lifted off or tilted.

In order to limit the extent of sliding movement of the top plate a slot 47 of suitable length is cut horizontally in each side plate 1 near the upper edge thereof and a screw 48, passing through a hole in the depending flange 42 of the top plate, is screwed into a smooth nut 50, which nut runs in the slot 47. The screw 48 and nut 50 of course constitute merely a convenient form of detachable pin projecting from the top plate into a slot in the frame plate 1 to limit the motion of the top plate. Incidentally this pin and slot construction also serves to prevent the top plate from being raised or tilted, and also acts as a guiding means for the top plate in its back and forth movements, as Well as to serve as stops therefor. When said top plate is drawn as far forward as the nut 50 will allow it to go, that is to say, to the position shown in Fig. 4 and in broken lines in Fig. 1, the lifter 35 lies under the free ends of the type bars 13 which are thus allowed to drop down to a prone or approximately horizontal position of disuse, thus considerably reducing the vertical dimensions of the machine and enabling said machine to be put into a carrying case of considerably less height than would be possible if the type bars stood up in their position of use. When the top plate is pushed back to its rear position shown in Fig. 3 and in full lines in 'Fig. 1 the type bars are elevated to their operative position where the gear teeth on the heels of said type bars are in mesh with the gear teeth of the sublevers and the machine is ready to be operatcd.

In practice, I propose to employ any suitable detent or other device to hold the top plate in both its forward and rearward positions, in order that the type bars may not be disturbed, whether down or up, by accidental shifting of the top plate.

From an inspection of Figs. 3 and 4 it will be apparent that the lifter 35 extends at its ends a certain distance toward the rear of the machine beyond what would be necessary if the type bars always stood in the position shown in Fig. 3. The prolongations of the lifter are for the purpose of insuring its contact with the extreme end bars when they are in their lowered or collapsed position shown in Fig. 4, in order that all of the type bars may be simultaneously raised to their working position when the top plate is slid rearwardly. It will be noted that in Fig. 3 these extended or prolonged portions of the lifter do not in the working position of the type bars serve as type rests because at that time the type bars are closer together than they are when in collapsed osit-ion as shown in Fig. 4. These rearwartfly' extending ends of the lifter are preferabl slightly curved downward as shown in ig. 1 in order that the end bars may lie as low as possible when in collapsed position.

While as will be noted at Fig. 4 the lifter 35 is arranged to lie under the t e heads of the majority of the type bars, said lifter as it approaches the sides of the system is curved to lie under the shanks of half a dozen or so of the side type bars at each merely for the raising and lowering of the type bars alone, it will be seen that the machine is greatly simplified and lightened as a whole and that it may be rendered practically as compact or as small in its dimensions as other machines of this general description.

Various chan es can be made in the details of construe ion and arrangement without departing from my invention.

What I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a set of type bars pivoted to the fixed framework of the machine, means for elevating and depressing said type bars so as to expand and compact the machine, and a fixed guide for said means.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a set of type bars pivoted to the fixed framework of the machine and said type bars having a position of disuse and a position of use, a set of key levers, a set of actuating devices connected to said key levers and to said type bars, said key levers and said actuating devices being also mounted in the fixed framework of the machine, and means acting directly on said type bars to move them only about their pivots from their position of disuse to their position of use.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a set of swinging type bars having a depressed position of disuse, a fixed mount to which said type bars are pivoted, fixedly mounted key actuated mechanism for operating said type bars, and means independent of said key actuated mechanism for raising the set of type bars to a position for use.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a set of pivoted type bars, key actuated mechanism for operating said type bars, said type bars and said key actuated tion.

mechanism being mounted. in the fixed framework of the machine, and said type 'bars occupying when in disuse a substantially horizontal position; and means acting only on the set of type bars for swmgmg them about their pivots to operatlng posi- 5. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a set of type bars pivoted in'the fixed framework of'the machine, a lifting device also mounted on said fixed frame: work and having contact with said type bars and having sliding rectilinear motion from one position where said type bars are of a compacted formation of disuse to another position to move said type bars about their pivots to an expanded formation where they are ready to be operated.

' 6. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a set of type bars pivoted in the fixed framework of the machine, atype rest or pad also mounted in the fixed "framework and against which said type bars he when they are in position to be operated, said type rest slidable in a rectilinear path to another position where said type bars are allowed to drop back about their pivots into a compact formation. 7. In a typewritin machine, the combination of a set of type ars each pivoted to the fixed framework of the machine, a top plate slidable on said fixed framework and having a type bar lifter thereon, and fixed guides for said slidable top plate, the construction and arrangement being such that when said top late is in one position said lifter holds said type bars in expanded position where they are ready to be operated and when said top plate is moved to another position said type bars can drop back to a compact position.

8. In a top strike typewriting machine, the combination of a set of type bars havingan upstanding position of use and a prone position of disuse, and a device havin contact with said type bars and movabIe horizontally front and back, said device when moved from its forward to its rear position operating to elevate said type bars from their prone to their upstanding position.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a set of pivoted type bars and a slidable top plate, said top plate when slid from one position to another moving said type bars about their pivots from a position of disuse to a position for use.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a base-plate, side-plates, a top plate, a set of key levers, a set of type bars aving as a set a position of disuse and a poandthe type bars for actuating the latter,

said means being arranged between the baseplate andthe top plate, said top plate being movable independently of the baseand sideplates. to shift the set of type bars from disuse position to position for use.

11. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a set of swinging type bars having a position of disuse, key actuated mechanism for operating said type bars, both said type bars and said key actuating mechanism belng mounted in the fixed framework of the machine, and means for raising the set of type bars to a osition j for use without bodily raising the key actuated mechanism.

12. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a set of fixedly mounted pivoted type bars occupying when in disuse a substantially horizontal position, fixedly mounted key actuated mechanism for operating said type bars, and means for swinging the setof type bars about their pivots to operating position without bodily raising the key actuating mechanism. I

. 13. In a typewriting machine, the combination ofa set of type bars having an upstanding position of use and a collapsed position of disuse, and a lifter for said type bars curved so as to engage those t pe bars near the middle of .the system un or their type heads and those type bars near the sides of the system under their shanks when said type bars are in their collapsed position.

14. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a set of type bars having an upstanding sition of isuse, and a type rest for the type bars when they are in upstanding position, said type rest being provided with prolongations to engage the end type bars whenin collapsed posit on and said type rest and its prolongations adapted to act as a lifter to raise the entire set of type bars from their collapsed to their u standing position.

15. In a compacti le typewr ting machine,

the combination of a stationary type bar segposition of use and a collapsed po- 

